The college football season comes down to this: No. 1 seed Georgia will play the No. 1 seed. 3 seed TCU in Los Angeles for the national championship on Monday night. Stetson Bennett and the Bulldogs are undefeated and seeking their second straight title, having not lost since the 2021 SEC Championship game. Max Duggan and TCU, meanwhile, are aiming to end one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of the sport, going from unranked in pre-season to a national title that no one saw coming.
The Bulldogs are the clear favorites on paper and in Vegas; they are favorites to win by 13 points at SI Sportsbook. But the Horned Frogs were also an underdog against Michigan and won this semi-final by six. Is the School inspired by Hypnotoad make a jaw-dropping story, or will Kirby Smart’s Dawgs end an incredible two-season run with more red and white confetti? Sports Illustrated’s the college football writers — Pat Forde, Ross Dellenger and Richard Johnson — have made their picks.
Carlos M. Saavedra (Bennett); Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports (Duggan)
Pat Forde: Georgia 38, TCU 31
I expect both attacks to be able to move and score, mostly in the air. Like Ohio State, TCU presents a challenge with its dynamic quarterback, who is able to throw big throws at very good receivers and is also a threat to run the ball. Max Duggan will have open players, and he has receivers who can go 50-50 balls (especially 6’4″ Quentin Johnston). But Duggan can also be pushed into the occasional error, and I expect that the Bulldogs’ pass rush to be more effective in this game than it was against the Buckeyes in the semifinals. Jalen Carter was rightly criticized for his low-impact performance against Ohio State;
Conversely, Stetson Bennet And the Georgia offense will have great game opportunities against a TCU defense that takes risks in order to sow chaos. The Horned Frogs were in the backfield all game against Michigan, recording 13 tackles for loss, including four sacks. Bennett should have hot reading options in the fast passing game, and his stable of receivers just keeps getting better (Adonai Mitchell had his best game since opening the season in the Peach Bowl) and s ‘improve (speedster Arian Smith bursts). A total of 10 Bulldogs caught passes against Ohio State. However, Georgia’s ability to weigh and run the ball is in question if Darnell Washington’s massive sprained ankle prevents him from playing.
In terms of special teams, Georgia may have rampant concerns about kicker Jack Podlesny, who missed three of his last five field goals at the end of what has been a very good season for him.
From a training standpoint, Kirby Smart and Sonny Dykes are at the top of their games. But Smart and his team have been there and done it, while Dykes and the TCU wizards are now in a new realm. We will see if this has an impact at the critical moment.
Ford’s pick for the game’s MVP: Who else? Bennett. Give him another award and another national championship when he comes out as the most decorated quarterback in Georgia history, and One of the most accomplished in college football history.
Ross Dellenger: Georgia 38, TCU 20
The easy reasoning for choosing the Bulldogs is the astonishing disparity in talent between the two teams. Get this: The Horned Frogs have signed a five-star prospect in the past four classes and have finished in the top 25 recruiting teams once. During that same span, Georgia signed 18 five-stars and finished in the top five every year.
However, on this magical run, TCU beat teams with far superior talent. It strangled Oklahoma, beat Texas and knocked out Michigan last week in the CFP semifinals. That said, coach Sonny Dykes and the Frogs face their toughest competition of the season in the SEC champion Bulldogs, equipped with arguably the best defense in the nation (fifth in D-scoring), quarterback the more veteran (Stetson Bennett is 25) and a program that is used to this framework (UGA won everything last year).
The bottom line: Georgia is more talented, more experienced on such a stage and, I believe, will rub shoulders with a second consecutive national title, barring more magic than the Frogs.
Dellenger’s pick for the game’s MVP: Georgia QB Stetson Bennett. How about that for a career-ending fairy tale that started out as a walk-on and included a college stopover? Bennett claims back-to-back national championships and the game’s MVP.
TCU will have to score on Carter (left) and the Bulldogs’ miserly D if they want to win Monday.
Joshua L. Jones/USA TODAY Network
Richard Johnson: Georgia 41, TCU 30
TCU executed the perfect upset script against Michigan. On defense, he took an early lead, turning two golden Wolverines chances on touchdowns into nothing via a mix of saves, Michigan’s incompetence and fixed plays gone wrong. To boot, the Frogs had two defensive scores in the game. Yes, they played well, but you can’t ignore the things that came together to make that happen. The Hypnotoad is powerful, but can its power be harnessed again for this purpose? If not, we have the ingredients for a game that could end in a shootout. Georgia’s running game needs to be better than Michigan’s understand how the TCU defense attacks from different angles and depths.
Johnson’s pick for the game’s MVP: Stetson Bennett. If this game becomes a points explosion, it will be Bennett who will be the catalyst, Just like he was in the Peach Bowl semi-final. He might be an MVP for all his accomplishments, but how could you give it to someone else? Bennett is adept at stepping up for the biggest games of his career.
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